Blog

The capoeira martial arts/dance style, Carnival celebrations, Catholic holidays, foods such as coxinha (chicken croquettes) and dances such as samba are all part of Brazilian culture.

Indigenous people, Africans, Japanese, Portuguese and Lebanese populations have all helped to make Brazil the diverse country that it is.

The Brazilian Day Arizona Festival on Saturday will showcase the many flavors of Brazil with entertainment and educational elements.

The festival is put on by Afro-Baile, a local record label dedicated to Latin music. Founder Miguel Ivery said he started the festival nine years ago to highlight musicians from his label. But it has evolved into a showcase of Brazilian cultural traditions.

Ivery said that from the start, it was important to him to educate the public about Brazil in an engaging way.“The festival is all hands-on, interactive. You don’t have to know anything to be a part of it and to feel a part of it. We try to add these elements that really let people engage with the performers so that they feel like they are a part of the festival,” Ivery said.

Ivery hopes that festival goers leave with a more comprehensive view of Brazilian culture.“I think a lot of people when you say ‘Brazil,’ people think of Rio, Carnival and half-naked women. That’s not the whole country. I don’t like the stigma. To get away from the stigma, we have to create a program that is everything Brazilian and is the people,” Ivery said.

The festival will highlight diverse styles of Brazilian music, dance and martial arts. New and returning groups will perform throughout the day.

Headliner Caique Vidal y Batuque will bring a taste of Brazilian soul/reggae/funk music. Drum group Batala La will lead a parade around the perimeter of the festival before performing, and Bossa Brazil will show off the bossa nova style of music popular in Brazil.

The cultural scope of the festival has expanded with the inclusion of Sucursal de la Cumbia, a cumbia, salsa and Latin fusion group from Mexico.

Miss Brazil Globe 2014 Neise Cordeiro will co-host along with Natalie Fuentes, and Samba Queen USA 2017 Adrien Moya will make an appearance.

New this year is a fashion show of samba costumes and bikinis from Cory Thomas of CT Designs, a world-renowned fashion designer who produces costumes for dancers throughout the world.

Thomas’ company the SambAZ Dancers will perform and give workshops during the festival. Workshops will also offer instruction in capoeira and Brazilian percussion instruments.

Festival goers can learn about Brazilian culture through a retrospective display of artifacts from the 1890s to the 1970s. The exhibition features comic books, paintings, books, magazines, vinyl records and vintage toys.

The Brazilian Day Arizona Festival will feature performances from the Phoenix-based samba group Sambaz. (Photo: Courtesy of the Brazilian Day Arizona Festival)

Another new feature is live painting by five artists, who will create Brazilian-inspired works.There will be an area with craft activities, and food vendors will sell popular dishes such as coxinha and flan, as well as Lebanese and Japanese foods.

Other vendors will sell shirts, jewelry and other items imported from Brazil.Details: 2-9 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 22. Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, 7380 E. Second St. $15, $5 for ages 3-11, free for age 2 and younger. braziliandayarizona.com.